Yummy, Yummy, Yummy Cupcakes!

Is is "so last year" of us to really love cupcakes? We think not, considering so many of us rang in the new year humming SNL's "Lazy Sunday" hommage to New York's finest--cupcake that is. Now, we've been in that frantic line at Magnolia, and wrestled and wrangled our way to a box of those little gems, and that's a pretty high standard for the West Coast cupcakeries to compete with. LAist started to go cukoo for cupcakes back in March, when we tried out Leda's Bake Shop, and since then cupcakes have boomed in our fair city, though for many, Leda's is our local gold standard. For us, lodged up yonder on the east end of the Valley, local equals Burbank, and recently a cupcakery called Yummy Cupcakes opened its doors on, of all streets, Magnolia. They say they have "New York-style" cupcakes. We say, bring 'em on

LAist admits to probably picking the wrong day of the year to try Yummy Cupcakes: New Year's Eve. The bakery was running on shortened hours and a limited production schedule, so our flavor choices were made for us: Vanilla, Chocolate, or S'mores. But that didn't really bother us, because the mood inside Yummy Cupcakes was so upbeat and infectious, despite the pouring rain outside, and the gals behind the counter were happy to oblige any combination of frosting color or flavor with any kind of sprinklings on top. We handpicked our own set, and set off for home with our box of treasured cupcakes. We didn't break them out until midnight, so we can't comment on the immediate freshness factor, but they held up rather well, even the next day when we couldn't resist a leftover one with our morning coffee. We liked the vanilla cupcake the best; it didn't crumble and was light but cakey enough for us. Frosting wise, though, we preferred the chocolate; not too sweet, kind of pudding-like in flavor but perfect frosting consistency. We're not entirely sure what "New York-style" cupcakes means, except that perhaps, like Joan's on Third (so we hear) they use the recipe from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook, but this is all unconfirmed. To us "New York-style" cupcakes means they're hyped up as being so good you'll take an elbow or two to the ribs for the chance to have one, and and sketch-variety show will use you in a rap-lampoon ditty. We suppose then, that Yummy Cupcakes are Burbank-style cupcakes, whatver that means. In any event, for us, the ideal combo from Yummy Cupcakes is the vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting, although the chocolate cupcakes and the vanilla frosting are quite good, but they aren't great. The S'mores was the only specialty one we tried, and it was good, but we're happier being purists. Absolutely we'll be back to try them again--on the spot freshness test, exotic flavors, repeat vanilla with chocolate frosting magic--and it's entirely possible we'll resume our quest for cupcakes in la-la land.

Yummy Cupcakes
2918 W. Magnolia Boulevard, Burbank
(818) 558-1080